WBEZ | Chicago Cultural Centerhttp://www.wbez.org/content/chicago-cultural-center
Latest from WBEZ Chicago Public RadioenIntersections: Changing the World: Music, Art & Higher Consciousnesshttp://www.wbez.org/intersections-changing-world-music-art-higher-consciousness-109703
<p><div>Join us for a rigorus discussion on the topic of &ldquo;Intersections: Changing the World: Music, Art &amp; Higher Consciousness,&rdquo; featuring guests</div><ul><li>Jim DeRogatis, Sound Opinions host and Full-time lecturer at Columbia College Chicago</li><li>Joan Giroux, Associate Professor in the Art + Design Department at Columbia College Chicago, and</li><li>Louis Silverstein, Distinguished Professor of Humanities at Columbia College Chicago.</li></ul><div>&nbsp;</div><div>The guests will explore whether art, music and higher consciousness change the world? Inspired by great thinkers...</div><div>&ldquo;When the mode of the music changes, the walls of the city shake&rdquo; (Plato)</div><div>&ldquo;Art tells gorgeous lies that come true.&rdquo; (Hakim Bey)</div><div>&ldquo;The key to growth is the introduction of higher dimension of consciousness not our awareness.&rdquo; (Lao Tze)</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>The relationship between art, music, consciousness and social change will be the subject of our exploration.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>&nbsp;</div></p>Fri, 14 Feb 2014 08:28:00 -0600http://www.wbez.org/intersections-changing-world-music-art-higher-consciousness-109703Global Activism: Indiahttp://www.wbez.org/global-activism-india-109660
<p><div>Join Jerome McDonnell and the <em>Worldview</em> team at our new Global Activism Event series. Previously a one day event, this year we are stretching the series over the course of a year and will focus on specific countries, cultures and topic areas that have global relevance and models for service.&nbsp;</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>The <em>Global Activism: India</em> event will kick off the series and showcase the activist groups related to India you&#39;ve come to know through the Global Activism Series which airs Wednesdays on <em>Worldview</em>.&nbsp;Meet the activists in person, find out more about their work and learn how you can make a difference!&nbsp;</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>A panel discussion&nbsp;<em>India: Lessons in Development,&nbsp;</em>moderated by Jerome,&nbsp;will a look at the history of development work in the country. While people think poverty in India is like the film <em>Slumdog Millionaire</em>, an estimated 70 percent of India&rsquo;s population&nbsp;actually live in rural areas. We&rsquo;ll explore the differences between rural and urban development in India and examine what kinds of programs have successfully helped lift people out of poverty and what hasn&#39;t worked.&nbsp;</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Featured panelists include:</div><ul><li><span lang="en-US"><font face="Calibri,sans-serif" size="2"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Jagjit Jain&nbsp;is a professor of industrial technology and management at IIT</span></font></span></li><li><span lang="en-US"><font face="Calibri,sans-serif" size="2"><span style="font-size:11pt;"><font color="black">Pushpika Freitas is the President of MarketPlace: Handwork of India</font></span></font></span><br />&nbsp;</li></ul><div>Finally, get a better flavor and enjoy the many cultural disciplines and influences India has to offer.</div><ul><li>Dancing from<a href="http://www.kalapriya.org/"> Kalapriya - Center for Indian Performing Arts</a></li><li>And from&nbsp;<a href="http://www.natya.com/">Natya Dance</a>&nbsp;Theatre</li><li>Art works&nbsp;curated by Manvee Vaid</li><li>Indian food from <a href="http://aryabhavanchicago.com/">Arya-Bhavan</a></li><li>Bring your mat for mini yoga classes from&nbsp;<a href="http://yogawithkeely.com">Yoga with Keely</a></li><li>DJ Bashert will provide music from 4-6pm</li></ul><div><div class="image-insert-image "><img alt="" class="image-original_image" src="http://www.wbez.org/system/files/styles/original_image/llo/insert-images/Jerome_balloon_0.jpg" style="height: 383px; width: 400px;" title="" /></div><div class="image-insert-image ">&nbsp;</div><div class="image-insert-image "><strong>Meet the Activists and Participating Groups!</strong></div><div class="image-insert-image "><div><a href="http://www.aactionautism.org/">AACTION Autism</a></div><div><a href="http://www.ashanet.org/">ASHA for Education&nbsp;</a></div><div><a href="http://www.b-einc.com/bfi/">Blind Foundation for India</a></div><div><a href="http://www.bookwallah.org/">Bookwallah</a></div><div><a href="http://www.dalitsolidarity.org/">Dalit Solidarity</a></div><div><a href="http://www.foodsresourcebank.org/">Food Resource Bank</a></div><div><a href="http://idc-america.org/">India Development Coalition of America&nbsp;</a></div><div><a href="http://idsusa.org/">India Development Service</a></div><div><a href="http://ihrclinic.uchicago.edu/">International Human Rights Clinic, University of Chicago Law School</a></div><div><a href="http://iicworld.org/">International Innovation Corps</a></div><div><a href="http://www.ishivest.com">ishi vest&nbsp;</a></div><div><a href="http://lift-foundation.org/">LIFT</a></div><div><a href="http://www.matatraders.com/">Mata Traders</a></div><div><a href="http://www.marketplaceindia.com/">MarketPlace: Handiwork of India</a></div><div><a href="http://www.playforpeace.org/home-1">Play for Peace&nbsp;</a></div><div>&nbsp;</div></div><div class="image-insert-image ">&nbsp;</div></div><div><em>&ldquo;Our new series is an evolution of the Global Activism EXPO that WBEZ has hosted for the last six years. We will continue to highlight global culture, issues and models for to making make a positive impact in the world, and we are so encouraged that there is such d emand for/interest in this type of dialogue. &nbsp;We welcome the public to meet the activists who are featured on the Worldview airwaves, participate in discussions and sample different cultures,&rdquo;</em> said McDonnell.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Future <em>Worldview</em> Global Activism events include a Spring program on Healthcare and the challenges different communities around the world face when it comes to care; and a Fall program on Youth, and the growing trend of college-aged students starting their own non-profit organizations and following their passion to make a positive impact.</div><div>&nbsp;</div></p>Fri, 07 Feb 2014 14:09:00 -0600http://www.wbez.org/global-activism-india-10966011th Annual Creative Chicago Expohttp://www.wbez.org/11th-annual-creative-chicago-expo-109628
<p><div>Join Chicagoans for the 11th Annual Creative Chicago Expo mid-March. Featuring 30+ workshops, 140+ exhibitors and keynote addresses by artist and activist Theaster Gates, fashion designer Maria Pinto, chef Carrie Nahabedian and filmmaker Robert Teitel.&nbsp;</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><strong>Theaster Gates</strong> speaks on Friday 3/14, 10:30am.</div><div>He has an expanded practice that encompasses community development and reuse strategies, performance, object making and critical engagement with many publics. Founder of the non-profit Rebuild Foundation, Gates is currently Director of Arts and Public Life at the University of Chicago.&nbsp;</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><strong>Maria Pinto</strong> speaks on&nbsp;Friday 3/14, 3pm.</div><div>She has gained fame with her one-of-a-kind designs worn by Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey. Her new ready-to-wear line M2057 by Maria Pinto was launched online after a massively successful Kickstarter campaign that garnered over $270,000 start-up funding. This new capsule collection of modern dresses, jackets and wraps reflect her desire to explore fresh and innovative ideas and techniques, with an urban flair.&nbsp;</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><strong>Carrie Nahabedian</strong> speaks on&nbsp;Saturday 3/15, 10:30am.</div><div>She has pioneered culinary arts in Chicago, Atlantic City, Los Angeles and Europe. After departing her position as Executive Chef of the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, Carrie returned to her native Chicago to open NAHA in 2000, which garnered her a James Beard Award and four consecutive Michelin stars. Carrie is one of only 10 female chefs in the U.S. to garner a Michelin star.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><strong>Robert Teitel </strong>speaks on&nbsp;Saturday 3/15, 3pm.</div><div>He is the producer of some of the most successful urban studio and independent films and television series in motion picture history. The trendsetting comedies &ldquo;Soul Food,&rdquo; &ldquo;Barbershop,&rdquo; &ldquo;Barbershop 2&rdquo; and &ldquo;Beauty Shop&rdquo; sparked conversations about race across America, grossed over $100 million and led to several successful television series. A graduate of Columbia College Chicago, Bob formed his first production company with director George Tillman while both were in school, and went on to produce &ldquo;Scenes for the Soul,&rdquo; using Chicago talent and resources. In January 2009 they released NOTORIOUS, the true story of The Notorious B.I.G. for Fox Searchlight Pictures.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Get more information and the <a href="http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/creative_chicagoexpo.html">full schedule here</a>.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>&nbsp;</div></p>Mon, 03 Feb 2014 12:15:00 -0600http://www.wbez.org/11th-annual-creative-chicago-expo-109628Ties that Bindhttp://www.wbez.org/ties-bind-108807
<p><p>Join Dave Isay as he hosts a discussion and signing of his new book <em>Ties that Bind: Stories of Love and Gratitude from the First 10 Years of StoryCorps</em>. The book is a celebration of the relationships that bring meaning to life and help us go on.</p><p>And there is a lot to draw from. In the first 10 years, StoryCorps has recorded over 45,000 stories from across the nation and that are now housed at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. StoryCorps is one of the largest oral history projects of its kind, and millions listen to our weekly broadcasts. Join Dave in person and learn more about this unique public radio mainstay.</p><div class="image-insert-image "><img alt="" class="image-original_image" src="http://www.wbez.org/system/files/styles/original_image/llo/insert-images/ties%20that%20bind.jpg" title="" /></div></p>Mon, 30 Sep 2013 16:10:00 -0500http://www.wbez.org/ties-bind-108807Budgetary Power to the People: Chicago's Experiment in Participatory Budgetinghttp://www.wbez.org/budgetary-power-people-chicagos-experiment-participatory-budgeting-107394
<p><div>In 2009, the 49th Ward became the first in Chicago to engage in a process known as participatory budgeting, in which community members vote directly on how to spent municipal funds. Since then, each year Alderman <strong>Joe Moore</strong> has turned over his ward&rsquo;s $1.3 million in &ldquo;menu money&rdquo;&mdash;funds earmarked for infrastructure projects&mdash;to the community, which has voted for everything from sidewalk repairs to public murals. This year, four other Chicago wards carried out their own participatory budgeting programs.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>This spring, in its series &ldquo;<em>Direct Democracy in Chicago&rsquo;s 5th Ward</em>,&rdquo; In These Times Magazine has followed 5th Ward residents as they navigate the budgeting process. On June 11, series author <strong>Joel Handley</strong> will lead a panel discussion of the lessons to be learned from how the participatory budgeting program has worked in Chicago, and how effective it has been in empowering residents to take part in the fiscal decisions that &nbsp;impact their communities. The panel will also explore the possibilities for replication of on a larger scale and what it might look like if more of the city budgetary decision making was under the direct control of Chicago citizens.</div></p>Tue, 28 May 2013 14:40:00 -0500http://www.wbez.org/budgetary-power-people-chicagos-experiment-participatory-budgeting-1073945th Annual Peace on Earth Film Festivalhttp://www.wbez.org/5th-annual-peace-earth-film-festival-105414
<p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The <strong>5<sup>th</sup> Annual Peace on Earth Film Festival</strong> showcases a captivating exploration of film in the areas of nonviolence, tolerance and social justice, with <u>all screenings free and open to the public.</u></p><p>The riveting and inspiring film <strong><em>A Whisper to a Roar</em></strong>, which chronicles democracy activists around the world, premieres in Chicago March 7 after a recent showing at the U.S. State Department (where it was live-streamed for U.S. Embassies and Consulates around the world)<strong>.</strong> Secretary of State <strong>Hillary Clinton</strong> said, &ldquo;The stories in <em>A Whisper to a Roar </em>demonstrate that democracy is a product of tremendous sacrifice and that we all share in the responsibility to secure its promise for future generations.&rdquo;</p><p>Other 2013 Festival highlights include: the World Premiere of the powerful and timely immigration documentary <strong><em>The Second Cooler</em></strong> narrated by <strong>Martin Sheen</strong>; the U.S. Premiere of Mexico&rsquo;s Altman-esque pastiche <strong><em>180 Grados</em></strong>; and the World Premiere of the metaphysical student short film <em><strong>Historias.</strong></em></p><p>Of note, <strong>Latino Night</strong>, featuring films, filmmakers and issues about people in Mexico, Central and South America takes place Friday, March 8.</p><p>Started in 2008, the Peace on Earth Film Festival has been an annual event shining a light on filmmakers&rsquo; challenging perspectives regarding issues such as human rights, neighborhood violence, food deserts, domestic violence, bullying, war, world politics, environment, economics and more. The festival strives to put Chicago at the forefront of international efforts for peace and environmental recoveries, while bringing together filmmakers, academics and social activists in discussion panels and educational components. &nbsp;Learn more at: <a href="http://www.peaceonearthfilmfestival.org/">www.peaceonearthfilmfestival.org/</a></p></p>Thu, 07 Feb 2013 15:59:00 -0600http://www.wbez.org/5th-annual-peace-earth-film-festival-105414Eslanda Robeson and Black Women's International Solidarity: A Conversation with Barbara Ransbyhttp://www.wbez.org/eslanda-robeson-and-black-womens-international-solidarity-conversation-barbara-ransby-105411
<p><p><strong>Eslanda Robeson</strong> lived a large and colorful life. She was a woman of unusual accomplishment&mdash;an anthropologist, a prolific journalist, a tireless advocate of women&#39;s rights, an outspoken anti-colonial and anti-racist activist, and an internationally sought-after speaker. Yet historians for the most part have confined Essie to the role of Mrs. Paul Robeson, a wife hidden in the large shadow cast by her famous husband. This book, <em>Eslanda: The Large and Unconventional Life of Mrs. Paul Robeson</em>, by <strong>Barbara Ransby</strong> changes all that. Essie Robeson&rsquo;s story is told for the first time in all of its complexity and in the context of the dynamic historical times in which she lived.</p><div>Join us for a conversation with award-winning historian Barbara Ransby including a visual presentation of photographic images that help tell Eslanda&#39;s story. Ransby&#39;s presentation will be followed by a lively roundtable discussion about Eslanda&#39;s legacy and activism today.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Thanks to our bookseller for the evening, Women and Children First, copies of Eslanda will be available for purchase.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>More on this event <a href="http://www.prairie.org/events/26764/eslanda-and-black-women-039-s-international-solidarity-conversation-barbara-ransby">here.</a></div></p>Thu, 07 Feb 2013 13:03:00 -0600http://www.wbez.org/eslanda-robeson-and-black-womens-international-solidarity-conversation-barbara-ransby-105411Louder Than a Bomb 2013 Individual Poet Finalshttp://www.wbez.org/louder-bomb-2013-individual-poet-finals-105263
<p><p>Come on out for the 2013 Individual Poet Finals, taking place Wednesday, March 6th at 7pm at Chicago Cultural Center&#39;s Preston Bradley Hall.&nbsp; Competiting throughout the previous rounds of competition, these are the top individual poets in the city who are working to earn a spot on the 2013 Louder Than a Bomb All-Star Team.<br /><br />The largest of its kind in the world, Louder Than A Bomb (LTAB) is Chicago&rsquo;s rapidly-growing teen poetry festival, this year taking place at various venues around Chicago beginning February 16 and continuing through to the finals on March 9, 2013. Aiming to bring teens together across racial, gang, and socio-economic lines, LTAB is a friendly competition that emphasizes self-expression and community via poetry, oral story-telling, and hip-hop spoken word.</p><div class="image-insert-image "><img alt="" class="image-original_image" src="http://www.wbez.org/system/files/styles/original_image/llo/insert-images/ICON_ticket_event%20listing%20icon_16.png" style="float: left;" title="" /></div><div class="image-insert-image ">&nbsp;</div><div class="image-insert-image "><em><strong><span>This event is now sold out!</span></strong></em></div><div class="image-insert-image ">&nbsp;</div><div class="image-insert-image ">&nbsp;</div><div class="image-insert-image "><strong>Louder Than a Bomb is co-presented by Columbia College Chicago and Vocalo 89.5FM/WBEZ 91.5FM.</strong></div><div class="image-insert-image ">&nbsp;</div><div class="image-insert-image ">&nbsp;</div></p>Thu, 31 Jan 2013 15:57:00 -0600http://www.wbez.org/louder-bomb-2013-individual-poet-finals-105263SOULS: A Critical Journal of Black Politics, Culture, and Societyhttp://www.wbez.org/souls-critical-journal-black-politics-culture-and-society-104258
<p><p>Join us for a lively post-election roundtable discussion and reception with an impressive group of SOULS contributors, editors, and supporters in the beautiful and historic Chicago Cultural Center.<br /><br />This public event will mark the occasion of the inaugural issue of <em>SOULS: A Critical Journal of Black Politics, Culture and Society</em> to be published here in Chicago.<br /><br /><em>SOULS </em>is a well-known and historically significant publication, founded by Dr. Manning Marable at Columbia University. Barbara Ransby, a professor University of Illinois at Chicago and co-founder of the IHC&#39;s program, The Public Square, has assumed editorship of the <em>SOULS</em> journal.<br /><br />The round table will focus on the recently completed 2012 elections.<br /><br /><strong>This event is free and open to the public. However, reservations are required and can be made at souls@uic.edu.</strong><br /><br />The prestigious group of round table discussants will include:<strong> </strong></p><p><strong>Cathy Cohen</strong>, professor of political science and former director of the Center for the Study of Race, Politics, and Culture at the University of Chicago. She is the author of <em>Democracy Remixed: Black Youth and the Future of American Politics</em><span style="font-weight: bold;">.</span></p><p><strong>Michael C. Dawson</strong>, professor of political science and the director of the Center for the Study of Race, Politics, and Culture at the University of Chicago. He is the author of <em>Not In Our Lifetimes: The Future of Black Politics</em>.</p><p><strong>Bill Fletcher Jr.</strong>, senior scholar for the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, D.C. and co-author of <em>Solidarity Divided, The Crisis in Organized Labor and A New Path Toward Social Justice</em>.</p><p><strong>Cheryl Harris</strong>, a Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Professor of Civil Liberties and Civil Rights, UCLA School of Law. Harris previously taught at Chicago Kent College of Law and received a fellowship from the Mellon Foundation to host a conference called Redress in Social Thought, Law and Literature at the University of California Humanities Research Institute.<br /><br /><strong>Fredrick C. Harris</strong>, professor of political science and director of the Institute for Research in African-American Studies at Columbia University. He is author of the recent <em>The New York Times</em> essay, <em>The Price of a Black President</em>.<br /><br /><strong>Cedric Johnson</strong>, associate professor of African American studies and political science at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He is editor of a collection of essays titled <em>The Neoliberal Deluge: Hurricane Katrina, Late Capitalist Culture and the Remaking of New Orleans</em>.<br /><br /><strong>Beth E. Richie</strong>, professor of criminal justice and gender and women&#39;s studies at UIC. Richie is former head of the African American Studies Department at UIC and author of <em>Compelled to Crime: The Gender Entrapment of Black Battered Women</em>.<br /><br /><strong>Robert T. Starks</strong>, political editor at <em>N&rsquo;Digo</em> magazine and director of the Harold Washington Institute for Research and Policy Studies at Northeastern Illinois University.<br /><br />The discussion will be moderated by <strong>Barbara Ransby</strong>, professor of African American studies, history, and gender and women&#39;s studies at UIC.</p></p>Mon, 10 Dec 2012 12:29:00 -0600http://www.wbez.org/souls-critical-journal-black-politics-culture-and-society-104258IGO CarSharing 10th Anniversary Galahttp://www.wbez.org/igo-carsharing-10th-anniversary-gala-104082
<p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2 style="margin: 0.7em 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(27, 101, 18); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><strong>Join us for our 10th Anniversary Gala</strong></h2><p style="margin: 0.7em 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 17px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">We&rsquo;re proud of the work we&rsquo;ve done over the last ten years, and we&rsquo;re excited about the innovations we&rsquo;ll be implementing in the future. Join us as we continue the journey toward making it possible for Chicago-area residents to live well without owning a car, and to getting IGO members from where they are to where they want to be.</p><h2 style="margin: 0.7em 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; color: rgb(27, 101, 18);"><strong>Event Highlights</strong></h2><ul style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 14.633333206176758px;"><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.22em; list-style-type: disc;">Delicious food (vegan, vegetarian and meat options)</li><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.22em; list-style-type: disc;">Delightful drinks</li><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.22em; list-style-type: disc;">Free pass to the&nbsp;<a href="http://igocars.us1.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=26ae15dbc166dc471ac0062df&amp;id=6f8f249f04&amp;e=dba57eff54" style="line-height: 1.22em; outline: none; text-decoration: initial; color: rgb(47, 112, 178);" target="_blank">One of a Kind show</a>&ndash;a great place to do your holiday shopping for those special folks on your list (<strong style="line-height: 1.22em;">limited supply</strong>)</li><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.22em; list-style-type: disc;">Entertainment and dancing</li><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.22em; list-style-type: disc;">Free gift for all attendees</li><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.22em; list-style-type: disc;">An opportunity to mingle with a group of committed, environmentally conscious residents from Chicago and the surrounding suburbs</li><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.22em; list-style-type: disc;">Silent auction</li><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.22em; list-style-type: disc;">Participation by civic leaders, including Governor Pat Quinn</li><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.22em; list-style-type: disc;">Presentation of IGO&rsquo;s new Leadership Awards recognizing the organizations and individuals who have helped make carsharing in Chicago such a success</li><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.22em; list-style-type: disc;">A look at the future of carsharing and sustainable transportation in Chicago and beyond</li></ul><p>Purchase tickets <a href="http://www.igocars.org/igo10/">here.</a></p></p>Wed, 28 Nov 2012 14:17:00 -0600http://www.wbez.org/igo-carsharing-10th-anniversary-gala-104082